Get Off The Bench Podcast

Lisa Ireland is an Australian author of modern historical and contemporary fiction. Her novels include The One and Only Dolly Jamieson, The Secret Life of Shirley Sullivan, The Art of Friendship, and The Shape of Us. Additionally, Lisa has written several rural romances, including the Australian bestseller, Feels Like Home. Her eighth novel, The Studio Girls, will be released in April 2024.

Lisa has a professional background in education, with a long career in both classroom teaching and professional development leadership. Since 2021, she has combined her teaching skill with her passion for writing to successfully mentor over thirty writers. She is also a sought after speaker and workshop facilitator, and has presented at numerous literary festivals and community events, including the Queenscliffe Literary Festival, Brimbank Writers and Readers Festival and Romance Writers of Australia’s annual conference.

When not writing, Lisa enjoys reading, walking her dog, and drinking copious amounts of coffee. During the covid-19 lockdowns, Lisa taught herself to crochet, and is now the proud creator of one (somewhat asymmetric) knee rug.

Socials:

Website: https://www.lisairelandbooks.com/

Insta: Lisa Ireland @lisairelandbooks

The Reading Couch FB Group

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Andres Ruiz is a motivational speaker, Tedx Speaker, Confidence and Leadership coach, and radio show host on 1030 AM The Voice and 106.3 The Groove in Arizona.

He is also the author of 10 books, 6 of those books were #1 on Amazon. He is also a children's author.

Andres has also been featured on CBS, NBC and Fox. Andres' has served over 40,000 youth in his community. His Mission is to help our youth and his clients do what inspires them to make the world a better place.

Socials:

Website: https://ibelieveinmyself.org/

LinkedIn: Andres Ruiz 

FB: Andres Ruiz

Youtube: I Believe In Myself

Insta: Andres Ruiz @andresruizmotivates

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Alarna Bell is a passionate makeup artist with over 30 years of experience.

From the glamorous runways of New York Fashion Week to the exotic beaches of Bali and Vietnam, she has had the privilege of working all over the world. She is the Director of Make up for Miss Universe in 3 regions, Singapore, New Zealand and her homeland of Australia.

Alongside Alarna’s international endeavours, she has also taught in classrooms and workshops across Australia, sharing her expertise with aspiring makeup artists.

Throughout her career, Alarna has had the opportunity to work with esteemed individuals,                                 including Golden Globe winners, WWE Wrestling Mega Stars, even the iconic Rocky Horror Picture Show. She has also had the honour of showcasing her makeup knowledge on television channels 9 and 7 in Australia.

Over the years, Alarna has come to realise that using the right tools is vital for achieving the desired results. After observing students and having thousands of faces in her own hands, she know how discouraging it can be to not have the right tools and knowledge of how to use them correctly. 

So she created Alarna Makeup Solutions, which assist people with a curated collection of high-quality tools that are essential for flawless makeup application. To complement these tools, Alarna provides visual guides that not only demonstrate how to use them but also explain the reasoning behind each technique.

Socials:

Website: https://alarna.au/

LinkedIn: Alarna Bell

Insta: Alarna Bell Make Up Artist @alarna.au

FB: Alarna Make Up Solutions

TikTok: Alarna Make Up Solutions @alarnamakeupsolutions

Mentions:

Toy Box Australia https://toyboxaustralia.org/

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Nir Eyal writes, consults, and teaches about the intersection of psychology, technology, and business. Nir previously taught as a Lecturer in Marketing at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford.

Nir co-founded and sold two tech companies since 2003 and was dubbed by The M.I.T. Technology Review as, “The Prophet of Habit-Forming Technology.” Bloomberg Businessweek wrote, “Nir Eyal is the habits guy. Want to understand how to get app users to come back again and again? Then Eyal is your man.”

He is the author of two bestselling books, Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products and Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life. His books have resonated with readers worldwide, selling over 1 million copies in over 30 languages.

Indistractable received critical acclaim, winning the Outstanding Works of Literature Award as well as being named one of the Best Business and Leadership Books of the Year by Amazon and one of the Best Personal Development Books of the Year by Audible. The Globe and Mail called Indistractable, “the best business book of 2019.”

In addition to blogging at NirAndFar.com, Nir’s writing has been featured in The New York Times, The Harvard Business Review, Time Magazine, and Psychology Today.

Nir invests in habit-forming products that improve users’ lives. Some of his past investments include Eventbrite (NYSE:EB), Anchor.fm (acquired by Spotify), Kahoot! (, Canva, Homelight, Product Hunt, Marco Polo, Byte Foods, FocusMate, Dynamicare, Wise App, and Sunnyside.

Nir attended The Stanford Graduate School of Business and Emory University.

Socials:

Website: NIR and FAR https://www.nirandfar.com/

LinkedIn: Nir Eyal

Youtube: Nir and Far blog

X: Nir Eyal https://twitter.com/nireyal

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For over 30 years, Simon Rinne survived mental illness. Undiagnosed Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Depression, and Anxiety saw him turn from happy-go-lucky kid to dependent on alcohol to feel "normal". A parental break-up saw him become "the man of the house" - and this is where things turned dark.

Social norms that tell boys and men to "suck it up" kept me quiet... and in that quiet, Simon’s mind turned to suicidal thoughts.

But he survived and after 20 years of suffering in silence, he finally reached out for help in 2012. Simon was diagnosed, and started seeing a therapist. However, Simon expected the therapist to wave a magic wand and cure him. That didn't happen, so Simon kept doing what he was doing.

It wasn't until Simon became a dad that he started to reflect on how he was showing up. 1 year later, he burned out. This is where Simon discovered mindfulness, and started to turn from survivor to thriver.

Simon is now 40 years old, sober, and using his pain to fuel his passion - talking about mental health! Not only does he love to talk about it, but he designed his therapy business around making therapy easy for men who really struggle to open up.

Simon has also completed a Masters Degree in Social Work and established Mindful Men - a therapy business and global movement encouraging men to men to adopt mindful living, combat the stigma around mental health, and lower alarming rates of domestic violence and suicide.

Socials:

Website: www.mindful-men.com.au

Mindful Men Podcast

LinkedIn: Simon Rinne

FB: Mindful Men

Insta: Simon@Mindful Men  @mindful.men.aus

Youtube: Mindful Men

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Sam Horn is the CEO of the Intrigue Agency, a positioning/messaging consultancy, which helps people design and deliver TEDx talks, keynotes, funding pitches and one-of-a-kind brands.

She is also the CEO of the Tongue Fu! Training Institute, a trade-marked communication skills approach, that teaches how to give and get respect at work, at home, online and in public.

Sam is the author of 10 books including Tongue Fu!®, POP!, SOMEDAY is Not a Day in the Week, IDEApreneur, and Wash Post bestseller Got Your Attention?

Her newest book Talking on Eggshells received a glowing Publishers Weekly review and endorsements from Marie Forleo, Jack Canfield, Lynn Twist, JJ Virgin, Dr. Ivan Misner (founder of BNI) and Whole Foods founder John Mackey who calls it “The course-correct for today’s cancel culture.” 

Sam's work has been featured in dozens of publications including NY Times, Forbes, Fast Company and, Harvard Business Review. She has been interviewed on every major network including NBC, CBS, ABC, Fox, NPR and MSNBC.

Fun Fact:  Sam Horn and her Tongue Fu! team stumped the panel on the TV Show To Tell the Truth.

Sam has had the privilege of speaking to more than half a million people worldwide from China to Chicago, Ireland to England, and for clients like Intel, Oracle, Accenture, American Bankers Assn.

Sam co-founded the Business Book Festival (held at USA Today headquarters) and served as the Emcee and Executive Director of the world-renowned Maui Writers Conference for 17 years.

She also served as the Pitch Coach for Springboard Enterprises which has helped entrepreneurs generate $27.8 billion (yes, that’s a B) in funding – and has been brought in by NASA, TED FELLOWS and Richard Branson's NEW NOW LEADERS to teach public speaking/media training. 

Sam’s LinkedIn Learning course has been translated into 6 languages and is used by organizations around the world, (e.g., Amazon, KPMG, Walmart,) as part of their communication – customer service – leadership training.

As a consultant, Sam helps clients - including Terry Jones, Founder of Travelocity and Charlie Pellerin, Project Manager of the Hubble Telescope - get their books out of their head and into the world. 

Sheri Salata (Former Executive Producer of The Oprah Winfrey Show, Pres. of Harpo Productions and OWN) calls Sam “one of the bright lights and most accessible wisdom-sharers in our culture today.”

Website: https://samhorn.com/

LinkedIn: Sam Horn

FB: Sam Horn’s Intrigue Agency

Insta: Sam Horn @samhornintrigue

Youtube: Sam Horn

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Leigh McDonald, has been a resident of Gippsland for most of his life and is widely recognised as one of the best local football players the area has ever seen. He has achieved great success as a player and coach, leading Churchill to a premiership and coaching Wonthaggi. Football has also taken Leigh across the country playing in 3 different state leagues.

However, Leigh's passion for the game has come at a cost. Over a span of 20 years, he endured more than 40 concussions, including a severe incident in the VFL where he was knocked unconscious and suffered a brain bleed. These repeated head injuries have led to Leigh being diagnosed with CTE, or chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

Despite the challenges he faces, Leigh has chosen to use his experience to raise awareness about CTE. Leigh is also on a mission to help implement concussion protocols in regional leagues and has embarked on a campaign to educate others of the signs to lookout for with your loved ones after receiving head trauma. 

Leigh will be running a marathon on the Gold Coast to raise funds for The Concussion Legacy Foundation, where he also serves on the board. Leigh's determination to show that it is possible to lead a fulfilling life with CTE is truly inspiring.

Socials:

Leigh Michelle McDonald

Mention:

The Concussion Legacy Foundation

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I went on a cruise ship around 40 years ago and hated it. Everybody on board had gastro, the flu, or sea sickness. I had the latter and needed an injection to ease the vomiting and nausea. But, it doesn’t end there or end well. I had an allergic reaction to the vaccine and blew up in huge red welts all over my body. I was not interested in sunning myself on the deck, or gracing the beaches of the pacific islands. Instead, I waited patiently to dock at each new port, and armed with a video recorder the size of a TV news camera, I ran solo to explore the undiscovered distant region of the island while fancying myself as a roving reporter.

I vowed never to sail the high sea again.

Fast forward to 2023, my partner says “I booked us on a family cruise”. My worst nightmare come true! However, I decided to put all my past negative grumblings behind me and give it a go. Have I changed my mind? You’ll have to take a listen…

A graduate of Boston College, Burke started out in television as a production Assistant while working other odd jobs, from bar bouncer, golf caddy to factory assemblyman, to sustain the meager TV industry income. 

His height and physical build came in handy, scoring him a gig loading grip trucks for Powerhouse Films, which further exposed him to commercials and films in and around the New England area. He soon became the ‘go to’ guy of Production Assistants in Boston, working every motion picture produced in Massachusetts. 

After a move to Los Angeles in 1990, Burke quickly moved up the production ranks, working as First Assistant Director on an independent film with Johnny Depp. Nicknamed “the Irish Bull” by his west coast colleagues, Burke went on to secure Assistant Director credits including, Jerry Bruckheimer’s acclaimed TV series Skin, Close to Home, CSI Miami, and the pilot for Desperate Housewives. He spent his last five years on Chicago PD. 

In 2003, Burke was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Three years of doctor visits, nine operations and chemotherapy treatments were all included in part of his rigorous 14-hour shoot day routine. To no surprise, given his well known tenacity, Burke conquered the disease into remission mostly by himself. 

The experience empowered him to take inventory of his life, specifically his trade, leading him to approach his career from an alternative perspective that was better aligned with his personal values. Best known in the industry for his talent, perseverance and respectful collaboration with colleagues on all levels.

Socials:

Website: https://tommyburke.com/

LinkedIn: Tommy Burke

Insta: Tommy Burke @tommy_burke_dga

Podcast: Not Just Sunglasses & Autographs podcast 

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For way too long, toxic masculinity has run rife. Men have been taught to be tough, not to cry, don’t show emotions and all the other damaging rhetoric. They’ve also been subjected to abuse and put downs for showing signs of kindness and warmth. This has to stop. The four men I talk about in this episode are indeed putting a stop to the harmful narrative that causes many men to self-loath and in some cases, take their own life. Mark MacManus, Matt Ferguson, Leigh McDonald and Steven Baker aren’t afraid to cry, and are actively sharing their stories in an effort to support men and others to ask for help and believe in themselves. Essentially they want people to know they are ok just the way they are.

Socials:

The Restoration Project 

https://www.facebook.com/restorationgippsland/

Build Grit with Steven Baker

https://www.facebook.com/buildGRIT

https://www.buildgrit.com.au/

Matthew Ferguson

https://www.instagram.com/mattyferg21/?hl=en

Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy

According to the Boston University CTE Center, Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is a degenerative brain disease found in athletes, military veterans, and others with a history of repetitive brain trauma. CTE is caused in part by repeated traumatic brain injuries, which include concussions and nonconcussive impacts.

Source: Concussion Legacy Foundation